Ghosts
by abrokencastiel
Summary: Sequel to Copycat and Superheroes, but if you haven't read those, don't worry. You can jump in head first with no problems. Ghostly killings aren't the only problem for Dr. Spencer Reid. There's also the ghosts in his mind. Will they get the best of him?
1. Headache

**Ok, ok. Due to popular demand, I am back writing on my **_**Copycat**_** series. If you haven't read the other stories, fear not. This one should be different enough that you won't be lost… I hope… if you do want to read the first two (**_**Copycat **_**and **_**Superheroes)**_** feel free to visit my page and look them up.**

**We are skipping ahead in time to the present, so Prentiss is back, but she had been "dead". I might make references to the first two, but nothing too extreme to where new readers will get lost. Idk exactly where this is going to go, but that's usually how I do things. Let's just give it a whirl, shall we?**

**I don't own Criminal Minds.**

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><p>Reid sat straight up in bed, choking back a half-scream. He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his palms against his temples. His sheets were a mess and drenched in sweat, as were his pajamas.<p>

His head was pounding and brought tears to his eyes. One hand reached out and grouped on his bedside table, over the books, through the papers, until he found the small beaded bracelet. He held it tight, praying to whatever god would listen to make the pain stop.

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><p>"…<em>What about my team? How many more times will they be able to look into the abyss? How many times before they won't ever recover the pieces of themselves that this job takes?"<em>

_~Aaron Hotchner_

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><p>Ten minutes, fifteen seconds. That's exactly how late Reid was. Luckily, everyone else was running later.<p>

"Reid, my man. Where were you last night?" Morgan asked as he and the girls entered the room.

Reid squinted as he looked up, suddenly remembering that they had all had plans to go out to dinner the night before. "Oh, sorry… I guess I forgot."

"No worries, my puppy dog. There will be many more chances to party with the queens of the BAU on another day." Garcia dropped a folder in front of Reid as the rest of the team took out their iPads.

Hotch and Rossi came in and took their seats, deep in discussion. Garcia lowered the lights in the room to put on her PowerPoint, which was a godsend to Reid.

"Today's show is brought to you today by the letter 'M'. Murder is the word of choice. Three dead, killed over the course of a week. All three were black males and had diamond-like cuts on their foreheads."

"Any other connections?" Hotch asked.

"None yet, but I'm running background checks on all of them as we speak," Garcia assured.

"Sounds good. Wheels up in thirty," Hotch said before leaving.

Garcia flicked up the lights as she left, causing pain to shoot through Reid's head. He covered by rubbing his eyes and yawning. He stretched as he stood, keeping his eyes shut tight until the rest of the team had left.

His migraines had disappeared for a few months, but they had returned in the past week with a vengeance. Reid opened his eyes a smidge, but the light forced them closed again. Fumbling through his messenger bag, he found his sunglasses and slipped them on. Of course, now he would have to head straight for the door. No stopping for coffee, or else it would look suspicious.

Reid shoulder his bag and grabbed the case file, making a beeline for the door through the noisy office.

"Kid, you headin' out already?" Morgan called, stopping Reid in his tracks.

"Yeah, I was going to go get some coffee before going to the jet." _Please don't offer to come with me. Not today. Please, please, please-_

"I'll come with you. We can take my car, save a little gas."

Reid forced a smile. _I probably shouldn't be driving anyway._

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><p>Reid slid into the passenger seat of Morgan's car, squinting even behind his sunglasses as the light bounced off the hood into his eyes.<p>

"You okay, man?"

"Yeah," Reid assured. "I just stayed up too late reading a book on psychology that just came out."

Morgan laughed. "I bet that made one great bedtime story."

Reid half-smiled. "It's quite interesting. Actually-"

"And we are at the coffee shop. What can I get you?"

"Something with lots of sugar and caffeine."

"I shoulda known." Morgan slammed the door behind him with excessive force, or at least that's how it seemed to Reid.

As he waited, he opened up the case file. The words swam before him into a jumbled mess on the page. Reid leaned his head back and closed the file. His left hand wandered to his right wrist, where the beaded bracelet was hidden under his sleeve.

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><p><strong>Alright. That sounds like a great first chapter to me, mainly so I can figure out what the heck is going to happen next, but I already have a pretty good idea ; )<strong>

**Also, it's pretty late and I am going to start writing gibberish if I stay up any longer XD**

**Hope you think this is good enough, yes you kc1997kc. I got your message and this is the result. I'll try to update every other day at least.**

**Reid and Review!**

**~MyDarkAngel710**


	2. Airplane

**Me: I could bring someone back... Gideon would be an interesting character to resurrect, but that's too common.**

**JJ: What are you trying to do?**

**Me: I can't tell you, it'd ruin the suspense.**

**Morgan: Come on, Angel. We'll leave and never come back if you don't****.**

**Me: No, you won't. You're too interested.**

**Morgan: Angel...**

**Me: I love it when you call me that!**

**I don't own Criminal Minds or the book **_**No More Headaches, No More Migraines.**_

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><p>"<em>When people talk of Ghosts I don't mention the Apparition by which I am haunted, the Phantom that shadows me about the streets, the image or spectre, so familiar, so like myself, which lurks in the plate glass of shop-windows, or leaps out of mirrors."<em>

_~Logan Pearsall Smith_

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><p>Reid was more than happy to sit back and let the rest of the team control the discussion. His headache had subsided, but there was still a twinge if he looked at the lights the wrong way.<p>

"Reid, what can you tell us about the diamond scars?" Hotch asked, passing over a picture of one victim's forehead.

Reid looked, flinching ever so slightly when the sunlight reflected off the gloss. "I'm not sure," he said as he passed the photo back. "There are quite a few cultures and religions that use diamonds as symbols, but they are usually accompanied by another shape."

Hotch nodded. "Keep thinking on it."

Reid went back to his coffee, half listening to the conversation as his mind raced through different symbols. His thoughts were still slightly fuzzy and nothing jumped out at him as he finished draining his coffee cup.

The briefing wrapped up and everyone dispersed to their airplane activities. Reid started to stand to get more coffee, but was forced back down by the knife-like pain that shot through his brain, right behind his eyes. Stifling a gasp and forcing himself to stand, Reid somehow made it to the restroom. He left the door unlocked, keeping the light off and the room in merciful darkness.

_Funny,_ he thought to himself. _My greatest fear is now my biggest ally._ Groping in the dark, Reid found the sink and splashed his face. The cold water dripped down his neck, dampening the collar of his shirt. He leaned on the counter, head hanging, eyes shut, and breathing deeply.

Finally, he slipped out, hoping that no one had noticed his flight. Eyes still half-closed, Reid carefully poured a cup of coffee.

"Could you pour me a cup?"

Reid jumped at JJ's voice and spilled some of the extremely hot liquid on his hand.

"Oh, jeez, Spence. I'm sorry." JJ grabbed a towel and wiped off Reid's hand. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine. I was just... Lost in thought." Reid examined his hand which was now half covered with a bright red splotch.

"You should ice that," JJ said as she reached for the freezer and retrieved ice. She carefully wrapped them in a towel and handed the package to Reid.

"Thanks." Reid still felt slightly awkward around JJ. Things were better after the dinner at Rossi's, but they were still far from the trusting relationship he had shared with her before.

JJ took it upon herself to finish making Reid's coffee, adding packets of sugar until Reid pulled his drink away with a thanks. "We missed you at dinner."

"Yeah, I forgot all about it." Reid paused, then added that he had been feeling a little under the weather.

"You do look really pale today." JJ reached up and put a hand on Reid's forehead. Her hand was cool. "I don't think you have a fever."

Reid pulled away with a half-hearted smile. "Thanks, mom."

JJ made a face and turned away to make her own coffee.

Reid made it back to his seat with coffee and iced towel in hand without spilling either. He carefully sat the items down on his table and reached for his messenger bag.

"Reid, what'd you do to your hand?" Morgan asked, removing one of his headphones.

"I spilled coffee on it." Reid again examined his mottled hand. "It looks worse than it is."

"You're getting clumsy, kid. Developing the coffee shakes," Morgan laughed.

Reid's small smile appeared on his face as he continued to rummage through his bag. He finally located the book he was reading and sat back. Even if he wasn't going to read it, he had to keep up a normal act. He didn't want to worry them.

"_Perhaps even more important, headaches are usually the result of another health- or lifestyle- related problem the famous sociologist Norman Cousins once said, "The best way to eliminate [pain] is to eliminate the abuses-tension, stress, worry, idleness, boredom, frustration, suppressed rage, insufficient sleep…"_

Reid barely got through the paragraph. Closing his eyes and the book, he was careful to keep the title hidden. He resisted the temptation to put the towel of ice on his temple, pressing down hard on his burned hand to try and distract himself from the pain in his head.

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><p>"Reid, come on, we're here," Morgan said, lightly shaking Reid's shoulder.<p>

"Hmm?" Reid sat up and ran a hand over his short hair.

"You were out like a light," Morgan laughed. "I'd think you'd be excited to come back home to Nevada."

Reid frowned. "Where are we?"

"Not Las Vegas, but pretty close. You could go see your mom after the case if you wanted to."

At first, Reid was excited to be so close to his home, but then he realized how bright it was going to be. The desert was no place to be suffering from migraines. Quickly, Reid slipped on his sunglasses and threw his book in his bag before following Morgan out.

Just as he feared, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Reid's sunglasses did little to block the sun from his sensitive eyes and he scurried quickly to the nearest SUV. Prentiss and Rossi were inside.

"Hey, Reid. You have a nice nap?" Prentiss smiled.

"Great," Reid said shortly as he tried to rub the pain out of his eyes with his thumb and forefinger.

Rossi put the car in gear and started to drive away. Prentiss turned and looked at Reid. Her questioning look was met with a brave smile meant to dismiss any worries. Rossi saw the exchanged glances. "Everything okay?"

"I just need to readjust to this bright light. I've been away from home too long," Reid explained.

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><p><strong>Alright. The true case work will start next chapter. Update soonish, I promise!<strong>

**Reid and Review!**

**~MyDarkAngel710**


	3. Locals

**Me: Sorry to keep you guys in suspense for so long, college is a crazy place.**

**Reid: Well, no one's in danger so I guess it's not as big of a deal as it normally is.**

**Me: How do you know no one's in danger (smiles evilly)**

**IDOCM**

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><p>"<em>The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances; if there is any reaction, both are transformed."<em>

_~Carl Gustav Jung_

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><p>The police station was relatively quiet, just a few misdemeanor felons sitting in handcuffs in the small detaining room, and only half of the officers. A small conference room had been set aside for the BAU team. You didn't have to be a profiler to know that the room was hardly ever used. Stringy grey cobwebs occupied all corners and the coffee machine that looked years old had a thick layer of dust on it.<p>

"This is horrible," Reid couldn't stop himself from saying.

"Murder is always horrible," Prentiss agreed, looking at the pictures on the table.

"Um, I meant the coffee machine…" Reid corrected.

Prentiss shot him an odd look and Morgan laughed. "Don't worry, kid, we'll fix you up some coffee."

Reid smiled and sat to take another look at the pictures. The quiet of the police station compared to what they usually dealt with at a case seemed to be the cure for Reid's headache. For the moment at least.

The diamond was obviously a clue as to what was going on, but he couldn't place it.

"Thanks for coming," a man said as he walked into the room. "I'm Joey Titen. I'm heading the case."

"Agent Hotchner," Hotch said as the two men shook hands. "And these are agents Morgan, Jareau, Prentiss, Rossi, and Dr. Reid."

"Nice to meet all of you," Titen nodded. "I'm really hoping you can help me figure this out. It's escalated greatly in the past few weeks, from cows to people."

"What?" Reid's head snapped up, triggering a slight twinge at the base of his skull.

"That's right, it started in bulls and male calves. They were killed right on the farm and branded in the middle of their forehead giving them-"

"A white diamond! Right!"

"You got something Reid?" Rossi asked.

"Yes, actually. See, in ancient Egypt, they worshiped black bull calves that were born with a white diamond on their forehead. And if I'm not mistaken, the victims, bull and human, should have a scarab mark under their tongue."

"Well, that's interesting," Titen frowned, obviously wondering how Reid knew the information.

"I read a book on Egyptian Hieroglyphs as a child. Apis, which is the name of the bull, is usually portrayed in the fashion of the victims with a diamond and a scarab tattoo. He also has an eagle on his back and double the hairs on his tail."

Titen blinked.

Reid was about to try and explain himself, but was interrupted when a girl in her early twenties came in clutching a book. "Oops! Sorry! I didn't realize they were here…" She quickly started backing out of the room, pushing up her glasses as she went.

"Don't worry, Allison. I was going to introduce everyone anyway, might as well start with you," Titen said as he put an arm around the girl's shoulders and pushed her forward. "This is Allison Mopps. Allison, this is the BAU team. Agents Hotchner, Jareau, Morgan, Rossi, Prentiss, and Dr. Reid."

Allison bobbed her head in the direction of each agent as they were introduced, her glasses sliding down her nose a little each time. "You can call me Mopps or Allison."

"Allison's been working on the case with me and made the connection between the bull slaughters and the recent killings."

"It wasn't that big of a deal," the girl blushed and seemed to try and hide behind her book.

"Well, it was that fact that led our boy genius to a genius conclusion," Morgan said with a smile.

"Will you be working with us as well?" Prentiss asked.

"Well, I… uh…" Allison looked at Titen.

"Of course she is. She's obviously the brains of this place." Titen ruffled Allison's chin length hair, making it stick out at odd angles.

She pulled away and shook her hair back into place.

"Here, you can sit next to me." JJ patted a chair next to her. Allison hesitated, then slid into the seat.

Hotch waited until everyone was situated before continuing. "Alright, what can you tell us about the bull killings?"

"We thought they were just some teenagers messing around. We never caught anyone and farmers started locking up their prized cattle to keep them safe. Some even installed floodlights and bought guard dogs."

"That seems a little extreme," Prentiss commented.

"You'd be surprised," Reid jumped in. "A bull-"

"Bulls of good stock can be sold between 1200 and 3000 dollars depending on if it's going to be killed or bred. The breeding of a heifer to a prized bull can cost quite a bundle, too. 500 to 700 dollars," Allison said without looking up from the table.

Reid stared, still open mouthed, at the mousy girl. She's seemed to talk without really thinking, spouting off a random fact without changing position or expression.

"Boy genius, meet up and comer," Morgan laughed.

"Just what we need. Another Reid." Rossi shook his head, a smile on his face.

"So when it became too difficult to get to their sacred calves, they turned to murdering people? It seems like a pretty large jump to me," JJ pointed out.

"Maybe not," Reid said. "This is likely an obsession, and since the Unsub couldn't accomplish his goals through his normal means, he was forced to change. It could have happened that he was walking down the street when he saw the first victim and suddenly decided that he had to be the next target."

"So you think that this will continue?" Titen asked.

"Yes, unless we can round up all of the African American males in the area and keep them in an enclosed area with floodlights and guard dogs like the cows, it's very likely the unsub won't stop. There will always be another victim for him to take."

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><p><strong>Sorry, sorry, sorry. College got really busy all of the sudden and I had a few papers to write. I will *hopefully* be getting things up sooner since I'm on fall break until Wednesday.<strong>

**Hope you guys like this so far. The story might take a sudden turn if it goes where I think it might end up going. If that is the case, there might be a sequel or a sudden change in the time-space continuum or something of that nature.**

**Again, we'll just see how this goes.**

**Reid and Review!**

**~MyDarkAngel710**


	4. Reiding

**Me: Hmmm….**

**Hotch: What?**

**Me: Hotch? You're asking me?**

**Hotch: You're thinking and its making me worried for my team.**

**Me: Oh, don't worry. No one is going to be in any danger… (mumbles)****in this chapter.**

**Hotch: What was that?**

**Me: Nothing!**

**I don't own CM.**

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><p>"<em>Words have meaning and names have power."<em>

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><p>Reid sipped his freshly brewed coffee as he read the book on Egyptian culture he had found at a used book store nearby. The rest of the team had split up to talk to farmers and to check out the crime scenes for any more clues. Allison was the only other person in the room, sitting and reading the book she had carried in earlier.<p>

She cleared her throat. "Um, Dr. Reid?"

He raised his eyebrows and turned his head in her direction, but kept reading out of the corner of his eye.

"I was just wondering if you could, uh, nevermind…" she broke off and hid behind her book.

Reid looked up. "What is it?"

"It's nothing. Stupid question." She was reading a book called _Pride and Prejudice and Zombies_. It was slightly torn, probably purchased from the used books store.

"'He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.'"

Allison closed her book and picked at the corner of the cover. "Well, I was just wondering how hard it was to get into the FBI. I don't know if I'm too old to even try, but I thought I might look into it…" Her sentence more died off than actually stopped.

"I got in at a very early age and under special circumstances, so I'm probably not the best agent to ask."

"Oh, wow. You must be pretty special," she mused. She suddenly realized what she had said, blushed, and frantically went back to reading her book.

Reid blinked then quickly started explaining that he'd skipped grades and graduated high school at fourteen and about all of his doctorates and his eidetic memory.

"Yep," Allison said with raised eyebrows. "You're amazing, Dr. Reid."

"You don't have to call me doctor."

"Um, okay. Reid." She seemed to roll the name around on her tongue, tasting it for any type of flavor. "Funny, you don't look like a red head."

Reid frowned. "You know what Reid means?"

Allison shrugged. "I remember odd things. Like the price of bulls."

Reid laughed. "Well, look at your own name, you're definitely not a son, and, no offense, but I don't think you're of noble birth either."

"Fair enough," Allison conceded, a bright smile lighting her face as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

"So, _Pride and Prejudice and Zombies_?"

"It's a lot better than it sounds. It's actually been made into a play and someone's working on a movie for it."

"Interesting."

"You should read it after you finish reading about Egypt. With how fast you read, it shouldn't take you anytime at all." She frowned then started to laugh. "Reid can read! Ha!"

"Winning over the ladies again, Reid?" Morgan asked as he and Prentiss came back into the room from talking with the farmer. "Did you show her some magic tricks?"

"I didn't have to; my name is apparently funny enough."

Allison blushed again and seemed to sink deeper into her seat. "What did you find out from the farmer? Anything new?"

"It seems like our Unsub might have tried to go back for another bull. The farmer said that a few nights ago his dogs started barking up a storm, more than they usually do for coyotes," Prentiss said.

"So that would be a little after the first human victim. They probably decided that killing people wasn't the best way to honor their god and tried to go back to animal sacrifices but when it turned out to be much more difficult, they stuck to their new method," Morgan concluded.

"Sounds like it," Reid mused. "One thing that I found strange in my reading was that Egyptians didn't usually kill their Apis bulls. They were viewed as sacred and lived in the lap of luxury. They received their own royal stalls and even a harem of the finest cows."

"So why is our Unsub killing them?" Morgan asked.

"Well, the bulls aren't true Apis bulls. They aren't born with the white diamond, they are just black," Allison chimed in.

"Right," Reid nodded. "Maybe they are hoping that by sacrificing bulls with the mark of Apis that an Apis bull will be born."

"Alright, what do we need to do to find this guy?" Morgan questioned.

"It might actually be multiple Unsubs. This seems like more of a group operation to begin with; the bulls that were killed seem too big to be for one person."

"So we're looking for a religious group?" Prentiss frowned.

"In a way. They probably aren't obvious in their worship, preferring to keep to themselves and hiding their beliefs from others. In normal settings, they would blend in with those around them." Reid flipped through the rest of the book, doing a quick skim for anything else on Apis.

"Are we looking for adult or teenagers, do you think?" Morgan asked.

"It's most likely a group of teenagers, but there could be a few adults leading them. Maybe a teacher of an old religion class."

"Allison, you're the local expert. What can you tell us?" Morgan asked.

Allison rubbed the back of her neck and squinted at the ceiling. "It's been a while since I was in high school, but there was a teacher that did religious studies. Mr. Josh is his name, I think."

Morgan was already dialing Garcia. "Hey, baby girl. Can you look up a name for me?"

"I'd do anything for my chocolate god of thunder."

"I need you to look up a teacher in this area. A Mr. Josh"

"First or last name?"

Allison shrugged.

"We aren't sure."

"Alright, but this might end up being a bit of a long list."

"That's fine."

"Garcia," Reid jumped in.

"Yes, Reid-muffin?"

"Could you also send a list of all African American males in the area?"

"Needy today, aren't we?" Garcia laughed. "I'll send them right over. Garcia out!"

Morgan put away his phone with a smile.

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><p><strong>This is going rather nicely. The story may take a sudden turn, resulting in a sequel, so don't be surprised. I do need input on if you like Allison's character or not. If not, I'm going to have to resurrect someone else, but this is your guys' call. Ha! This forces you to Review!<strong>

**If my original character isn't cutting it, I might bring back Seaver… Maybe…**

**Anywho,**

**Reid and Review!**

**~MyDarkAngel710**


	5. Background Check

_****SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE WHO DIDN'T SEE CM THIS WEEK****_

**Best line of Criminal Minds this week was more of a series of line starting with Reid finally picking up the phone when the news crew calls him for the umpteenth time:**

**Reid: Son of a B**** (we are keeping it as G as we can here). Hello this is Dr. Spencer Reid and I actually can come to the phone to tell you that your mother-**

**Hotch: Reid.**

**Reid: Sorry.**

**Reid then proceeds to profile Morgan's laughing expression, realizing that Morgan is the cause of his distress and before the scene ends whispers in a menacing tone "I will end you" which was probably the best/worst thing I have ever hear the dear doctor say. It gave me chills ;)**

**Of course, the best part was on the airplane when Spence's voice comes over Morgan's iPOD explaining that Morgan needs to be more careful about who he screws with and then proceeds to scream not only over the iPOD but also on Morgan's phone. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! EVIL GENIUS!**

**Life Lesson: Never play practical jokes with a genius unless you want severe consequences.**

**Now back to the regularly scheduled story.**

**IDOCM**

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><p>"<em>Secrets are made to be found out in time."<em>

_~Charles Sanford_

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><p>"Hotch said to let him know if Garcia finds anything and he'll meet up with us," Morgan said as he came back into the room.<p>

"So we just wait here?" Prentiss asked.

Morgan shrugged. "It's all we can do."

An officer who had just returned from patrol poked his head into the conference room. "Mopps, did you bring any chocolate chip cookies today?"

"In the microwave," Allison said without looking up from her book.

"Thanks!"

"Mopps is an interesting name," Morgan said.

"Not that interesting. It just sounds like I'm a janitor."

"Mopps. There are possibilities here. What about Mop? Or Moppsie?" Morgan grinned.

Allison shivered like she'd been shot. "Please, anything but Moppsie. It makes me sound like a rabbit."

"I think Moppsie's cute," Prentiss argued. "Who wouldn't want to be a bunny?"

Allison stared at her blankly.

"Come on Moppsie. You know you like it," Morgan grinned.

"How long is it going to take Garcia to find these people?" Allison asked as she blushed and struggled to read her book.

"She should be calling any moment now. Garcia's got the magic touch with computers," Morgan sighed as he stretched and sat down. "But until then, why don't you tell us a little about yourself."

"Aren't you guys profilers? Shouldn't you be able to figure out my back story?"

Morgan's grin verged on evil. "If you would like."

Allison's eyes narrowed in challenge. "Try your best."

Morgan leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table. "You're a shy person, obviously, but you seem to have a bit of an attitude once you get to know people. You don't seem fazed when people ask you questions unless they are about you, which goes along with your not liking to be the center of attention."

"Your cooking is pretty good if not excellent," Prentiss picked up without hesitation. "You probably do most of the cooking around the house. Possibly because you come from a single parent household, probably a father and no mother. You have a younger sibling that you are trying to help which is why you stuck around this small town and got a job when you obviously have the intelligence to be in a much better area than this."

Allison didn't reveal anything in her facial expression. "Is that all you got?"

"The fact that you laughed as my name might signify that you laugh at pretty much anything. Perhaps because you've had a lot of trouble in your life. The wear and tear of your book is from you picking at the cover when you're stressed, like you're doing right now. You read so much to escape from your current life. The fact that you shifted your body weight away when Morgan leaned forward indicates that you don't enjoy too close quarters and save any type of contact for those closest to you unless absolutely necessary."

"So," Morgan said, sitting back in his chair and raising an eyebrow. "Are we close?"

Allison's mouth hung open for a second before she recovered. "I don't have any siblings."

Morgan's phone buzzed and he flipped it open. "Talk to me Garcia."

"There are a surprising number of teachers in your small town with Josh in their name. The schools don't keep very good record of what the teachers teach. But, your devilishly amazing magic worker found the missing link. A teacher at the high school was fired a month ago for undisclosed reasons. Apparently they've been trying to fire him for a while and it finally went through."

"That could be the stressor," Prentiss said.

"Exactly my femme fatal," Garcia continued. "Your teacher in question is named Allen Joshua Danning. When he was eighteen, he got arrested for being involved with an underage girl."

"How underage?"

"Thirteen. A little too far apart for the parents of the little miss. Allen got a year in jail and got out early on good behavior."

"That could have been when he found his new religion," Morgan commented.

"It certainly could be. Once Danning got out, he dropped his first name, went to school, and turned his life around. The people trying to get him fired dug up his dirty past which he had left out when applying for the job and since Allen Danning and not Josh Danning had been booked, it didn't show up on the little background check the school did. I'm sending his address over now."

"Great work, Garcia. Give you a call later if we need you," Morgan said.

"I'll be waiting, my prince."

Morgan flipped his phone shut and stood. "Let's go. Reid, Allison, you guys come, too. There might be something there that you guys can help us with."

"Me?" Allison said, shrinking more into her chair.

"We might need your expertise on the area," Prentiss explained.

Reid waited and let Allison go through the door first. She gave him a half-smile and a worried look as she slid past and out the door.

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><p><strong>Hey All,<strong>

**Ok, so I can see the direction this story is going to go, and don't worry, I haven't forgotten the headaches. They are looming like a dark, dangerous storm in the distance growing every closer and larger. When the storm finally breaks, small children will hide behind their parents and small animals will scatter to safety.**

**Yes, it really could get that bad.**

**Reid and Review!**

**~MyDarkAngel710**


	6. Late

**Reid: Hello readers of **_**Ghosts**_**. I'm sorry to say, but this story is being discontinued as of right now. Why, you may ask? For the authors own safety. I recently saw a rough sketch outline of this story and I'm afraid that someone might take revenge on her.**

**Me: They all know this story is fake.**

**Reid: Some people cannot distinguish between what is real and what is fake.**

**Me: Oooo… Good line. I might use that….**

**IDOCM**

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><p>"<em>Ghosts of Survivors haunt the Heroes that could not save the Dead and Dying."<em>

* * *

><p>Reid and Allison slipped into the back of the black SUV as Morgan and Prentiss jumped in the front. Reid still squinted behind his sunglasses, more out of precaution than actual necessity.<p>

"Buckle up, kids," Prentiss smiled from the front as Morgan pulled out of the parking lot.

"What if he's there?" Allison asked, gripping her book in a death vice.

"Then we take him into custody," Morgan said with a raised eyebrow in the rearview mirror.

"What if he, I don't know, resists? Like with a gun?"

"His profile doesn't really fit the resistant type," Reid explained.

"But if he does have a gun, don't worry. We have our own," Prentiss assured.

"Um, alright." Allison pushed her hair behind her ears and took off her glasses to clean them on her shirt.

"So you just stay in the police station?" Prentiss asked as Morgan sped down the road.

"No, I'm usually a secretary."

"Secretary to working on a case. That's quite a jump," Morgan nodded.

"It's a small town."

They pulled up outside a small house at the same time as another SUV carrying Hotch, JJ and Rossi. A police car pulled up along the street.

"This is my neighborhood," Allison commented as she got out a hesitation behind the agents. "Should I wait in the car or something?"

"Yes," Hotch said.

"Mr. Josh? FBI. We're comin' in!" Morgan warned before he kicked open the door. Reid and Prentiss went around one side while JJ and Hotch went around the other. Morgan and Rossi entered through the front door.

Reid led the way around, listening and watching for anything strange. The only noise came from inside the house where Morgan, Rossi, and a few officers were investigating.

"Clear!" came the call from Rossi.

Everyone reconvened in the living room of the house.

"Reid, I think you should take a look at this guys bedroom." Morgan nodded toward the other end of the house and led Reid away.

The bedroom was lit with a single black light. Pictures of stars and ghostly figures covered one wall. Candles were scattered over an end table and the dresser. The bed was bare besides one blanket and a pillow.

"Over here." Morgan motioned to the closet door.

Inside was a golden statue of a bull. More candles and an incense burner were arranged before it.

"So you think he's our guy?"

"If not, he definitely at least influenced the Unsub." Reid bent down and took a closer look.

"Guys," JJ entered the room. "We found him in the basement."

"Found him?" Reid asked.

"What's left of him," JJ explained. "It looks like he was our first victim."

"So he taught a religion class and when he got fired, a group of students sought him out," Morgan thought aloud.

"They began worshipping Egyptian gods with him and it spiraled out of control. The kids got carried away and then they killed him in a warped sense of sacrifice." Reid frowned as the words left his mouth.

Morgan's phone buzzed with Garcia on the other line.

"I have your list of names, my dears."

"Hey, Garcia, did you happen-"

"To look up any relation between the victims? Doctor, you insult me. Of course I did. And there is only one combining factor: they all work as farm hands on ranches around the area. And guess what else? There is only one name on that list that fits that criteria. Roger Jacobs."

"Roger Jacobs?" Allison was standing in the door way.

"You know him?" Morgan asked.

"He went to school with me. We were friends…"

"I sent his address to you," Garcia concluded.

"Thanks, baby girl." Morgan ended the call and led the other two back to the team. "We have a possible victim: Roger Jacobs."

"You, Reid, and Prentiss head over there. The rest of us are going to talk to Josh's landlord," Hotch ordered.

Morgan nodded and led his half of the team plus Allison back to the SUV.

* * *

><p>Robert Jacobs' house was actually a trailer.<p>

"Rob used to live in Las Vegas, but he apparently got into some trouble and moved out here with his grandma. He was never had any problems at school and he really liked the country. His grandma died last year and we haven't talked since her funeral," Allison explained as they drove up. "I heard that he sold her house and I just assumed that he moved back to Las Vegas." She frowned. "That's from my neighborhood."

"The car?" Morgan asked as they all exited.

"I recognize the grey car as Rob's, but the blue van… I think I've seen it in my neighborhood."

"Didn't you say that Josh lived in your neighborhood?" Reid asked.

Allison nodded.

The group moved up to the door and knocked as Prentiss called Hotch. There was no reply but voices could be dimly heard. Reid moved to a window and attempted to peek through the blinds, as Morgan attempted to get someone's attention from the inside.

Reid moved on to the back, looking for another window. He found one that the curtains were open, but it was too high. Finding a cinderblock on the ground, Reid moved it under the window and stood atop it. He removed his sunglasses, squinting as the sun flashed on the windowsill. His vantage point inside wasn't great, but he could see enough.

"Morgan!" Reid called as he jogged back around. "Morgan, it looks like there's a group of kids in there. I think Robert's in the middle."

Without hesitation, Morgan and Prentiss drew their guns. "FBI! We're comin' in!" Morgan yelled for the second time that day.

The door flew open and the team rushed in, guns aimed. A group of teenagers rose from the floor as one, blocking the rest of the trailer behind them.

"Put your hands over your head," Morgan ordered. "And get down on the ground."

One of the kids began to move, but a look from another kept him up.

"I said get down on the ground. Don't make me do something I don't want to do."

"Now!" Prentiss emphasized.

Slowly, the first few teens knelt, followed by the rest. Robert finally was visible next to a burning incense bowl. His forehead bled from the cuts.

Sirens outside told police arrival before they entered the house. It was a flurry of motion as the cops rushed into the trailer and helped take the teens out and Morgan, Prentiss, and Reid hurried to Robert's side.

Prentiss felt for a pulse and shook her head.

"Is he…" Allison stood behind them.

Reid's mouth moved but he couldn't say anything.

Allison swallowed and averted her eyes.

"Maybe you should take her outside," Morgan suggested.

Reid nodded and took Allison's elbow to lead her out.

"I'm really fine," Allison assured as they stepped into the sunlight. "You don't need to help me."

"You might be suffering from a type of shock."

"I hardly even knew him." Allison sat on the lawn and put her chin on her knees.

Reid felt for his sunglasses but couldn't find them. _They must be in the trailer…_ He considered going in, but the thought of the loud noise made him uncomfortable. But the sunlight was just as bad. He ran a hand over his eyes, his migraine slowly growing worse. "He was still your friend."

"Lots of people lose friends and family. Lots of people have it worse."

The people who 'had it worse' flashed through Reid's head, each face sending a sharp pain through his throbbing head.

"Why didn't you get here sooner?"

"We got here as soon as we could, Allison," Reid told the voice with a shake of his head. He looked up at Allison. She was staring at him with a crinkled brow.

"I didn't say anything."

* * *

><p><strong>Uh oh. That's all I'm gonna say.<strong>

**Reid and Review.**

**~MyDarkAngel710**


	7. Runaway

**Me: And them he walked away. Away from the pain, the hurt, the possibility of causing others the same.**

**Rossi: Who?**

**Reid: And technically that last sentence was a fragment.**

**Me: Hey, I'm trying to be dramatic here!**

**Prentiss: Yeah, with dramatically bad grammar.**

**Me: It's not that bad! I'm going for intenseness.**

**JJ: About that…**

**Me: Oh, forget it! You guys ruined the moment anyway…**

**I don't own Criminal Minds.**

* * *

><p>"<em>You can't run away from trouble. There ain't no place that far."<em>

_~Uncle Remus, _Song of the South

* * *

><p>"Are you okay?" Allison stood and considered Reid with a worried expression.<p>

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just thought I heard you say something." Reid rubbed his temple and attempted a smile in her direction. "Just jet lagged."

Allison didn't look convinced, but the arrival of the rest of the team distracted her.

Hotch, JJ, and Rossi came over to Reid.

"What happened?" Hotch asked, glancing at the buzzing trailer.

"We came straight over and Allison recognized the van as not being Robert's and that's when we called you. I looked in a back window and saw the teenagers inside. We went in, but we were too late." Reid gave as concise an answer as possible.

Hotch nodded, his facial expression changing ever so slightly as he noticed Reid's squinting expression.

"I left my sunglasses in there," Reid explained.

One curt nod from Hotch, then he disappeared inside.

"Are you okay?" JJ asked. Reid almost replied before he realized she was talking to Allison.

"I'm fine. I hardly kno… knew him."

"Maybe you should go back to the police station," Rossi thought aloud.

"I can take her," Reid volunteered, perhaps too quickly.

"Thanks," Rossi said, watching Reid's actions as he handed over the keys to the SUV. "Be safe."

Reid pretended to not know what he was talking about, throwing a see you later over his shoulder as he led Allison to SUV and drove off.

* * *

><p>Reid splashed his face with water at the police station. His migraine was going nowhere, even with the bathroom darkened. His eidetic memory called up images and case files he had read without him consciously remembering them. Every time he blinked, a face flashed. Someone he couldn't save. Someone they just missed protecting. Someone who was left without a family.<p>

_Why didn't you get there sooner, Spencer?_ The voice echoed through his head again. A voice of someone that wasn't him.

"I'm not crazy," he told his reflection with as much resolve as he could muster. He took a deep breath and opened the door, turning the lights back up as he went.

Allison sat in the conference room, her book opened on her lap, unread. Her distant gaze snapped back into focus as Reid reentered the room. "Hi," she said, brushing under her glasses. The remnants of the tear remained on her cheek.

Reid half-smiled. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Allison nodded. She moved the hair from her face. The ring on her right hand caught the light and shone directly into Reid's eyes, making him grimace and turn his head. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Reid rubbed his temple and sat down in the shadow of the corner.

Allison swallowed, staring at the floor. "You're team doesn't think your okay."

"What?"

"You can't tell me that you didn't notice the weird looks you're getting from them, you're a profiler. They know you're sick and their worried about you." Allison turned and looked directly at Reid. Her bright blue eyes didn't waver like they normally did.

Reid set his jaw and broke his gaze away. "Nothing's wrong."

_Why Spencer?_ Again the disembodied voice accompanied by a sharp pain.

"I don't mean to pry bu-"

"Then don't!" Reid was on his feet and moving to pack his messenger bag. He had to get away. He had to get his thoughts straight. Find out exactly what was happening. He headed for the door, sunglasses he found in the lost and found covering his sensitive eyes.

"Reid!" Allison came running after him. "Reid! I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything. I just… worry sometimes…"

"It's fine, I just need to go."

"Back to your team?"

Reid hesitated. "No."

"Then where? Did you tell anyone else?"

Reid opened the door.

"Please. At least tell me so I can relay the message."

"I…" _Where am I going?_ Was there anywhere he could go? _Spencer, why were you too late?_ "I'm going to visit my mother." He took a step outside and paused. "Goodbye, Allison."

Spencer Reid left Allison Mopps staring after him. It didn't take a profiler to know he wouldn't be coming back.

* * *

><p><strong>See? This is more than just a crime to be solved. Now there's a runaway. Idk exactly where this is going, but it's going to be good, I promise. Even if the team did ruin the dramatic ending I was planning.<strong>

**I hope you like this twist.**

**Reid and Review!**

**~MyDarkAngel710**

**P.S. I'm thinking of doing a **_**Les Miserables/Criminal Minds**_** crossover where the team plays the major characters. IDK if it will go anywhere, but I wanted some input. If you don't know **_**Les Miz**_**, it was originally a novel by Victor Hugo (ok, like three novels or something…) and then it got turned into a magnificent musical by a pair of French guys that I can't remember how to spell at the moment. You should look it up **


	8. Protect

"I don't like this," Morgan said to Hotch, both of them standing in the door of the plane. "He knows we were supposed to take off a half hour ago."

"I know." Hotch stared out onto the horizon, his expression revealing no emotion.

Morgan pressed his speed dial and waited through the rings, ending again with the voice messaging system of Reid. "Damn. Still not picking up."

"We can't wait any longer." Hotch hesitated at the door only a second longer, then moved into the plane.

* * *

><p>Reid hadn't lied. He had gone to visit his mother three days ago. More to say goodbye than to tell her that something was wrong. It was impossible to say if she would have understood or not, though she had seemed fairly coherent.<p>

_Mother's know when their sons are troubled. Be careful, Spencer._ Diana Reid's words at Reid's departure echoed in his head.

"So, where to?" the cabbie asked Reid in the rearview mirror.

"I'm looking for an apartment building my friend is living at. I can't remember the name, but it's on the north side of Hollywood."

"I'll drive around, but remember the meter is runnin'." The cabbie tapped the readout for emphasis.

Reid gave a one sided smile and stared out the window as the taxi drove away from the airport. He really had no idea where he was going, and he didn't have long to decide. Once the team figured out he wasn't coming back, Garcia would be all over his monetary transactions in any form. That's why he had actually bought a ticket to China, and simply gotten off at Los Angeles to try and throw off the team. If he could just avoid them for a little while, maybe he could sort all this out.

"Dude, you alright? You're lookin' a little green. You're not carsick are you? I can't have you gettin' sick in my cab!"

"No, I'm fine. Just a little… hung over from my flight is all." Reid quickly wiped the sweat from his brow and took a few deep breaths.

_Little Reid, what are you going to do?_

* * *

><p>"What do you <em>mean<em> he booked a flight to China?" Morgan demanded of Garica, looking himself at the computer screen in her dimly lit office.

"I mean that our little genius has fled the country." Garcia's fingers flew as she traced where the plan would land.

"Why would he do that?" Morgan punched the desk in frustration.

"Why did I leave?" Prentiss stood in the doorway, eyes downcast. "To protect my family. That's the only reason he'd leave."

* * *

><p>Reid paid the taxi driver with cash he'd won in Las Vegas. The rest would have to go toward his hotel. He massaged his throbbing temple as he looked up at the old building with chipping paint. He was hopeful that they didn't take very good record of customer comings and goings.<p>

"No vacancy." The lady at the front desk didn't even look up as Reid walked in.

"Please, I'll take anything."

Dark eyes looked over glasses and gave him a once over. "You look like crap."

Reid blinked and looked down at his rumpled clothes.

"Not your clothes, you," the lady explained impatiently as she pulled over a large book and flipped through the pages. "I can put you in this small room for the night. It's a slanted ceiling and you probably wont be able to stand upright, but it should suffice for the night." She scribbled in the book and threw a key across the desk. "Top floor, last room."

Reid nodded his thanks and headed for the elevator.

"Elevator's broken," the woman warned. "You'll have to take the stairs."

Reid's shoulders dipped ever so slightly, but he headed for the stairwell.

* * *

><p>"What possibly could make him think that disappearing would do any good?" Rossi asked.<p>

Morgan and Prentiss exchanged glances.

"You can't tell me you haven't noticed." Prentiss hesitated.

"Noticed what?" JJ asked.

Hotch's eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly. "I think I know what you mean."

"He's been getting major headaches." Prentiss again stopped.

"Because of his mother's history, Reid's probably worried that he's developing schizophrenia," Morgan picked up.

"He's trying to protect us from what he fears is deterioration," Rossi nodded in understanding. "He doesn't want us to see him lose himself like he saw his mom lose herself."

* * *

><p>Reid was out of breath by the time he reached the top of the stairs. And his head was pounding like a jackhammer.<p>

_Run, Reid, run. But know that you cannot escape._

* * *

><p><strong>I own nothing.<strong>

**Reid and Review**

**~MyDarkAngel710**


	9. Tracking

**Hey everybody! Ok, so I know I haven't done great at updating, but I'm going to get better, I promise. As an added bonus to my otherwise busy schedule, I am co-writing a fic with my totally awesome cousin! It's a fic about the one and only Jack Sparrow and the extraordinary Sherlock Holmes entitled **_**  
>Thick as Thieves<strong>_**. Check it out! Her page is **_**Carlisle's Coven**_** and the story is gonna be wickedly awesome. I am writing the Holmes part and she's taken over Cap'n Jack :D**

**Now that that delicious bundle of goodness is out of the way, on the next part of my personal story.**

**IDOCM**

* * *

><p>"<em>Never turn your back on those you care about, even if it seems like the only way to protect them. Often times it causes more hurt and, if you have loved ones like me, they will hunt you down and force you to let them take care of you." ~Allison Mopps<em>

* * *

><p>Reid was sleeping peacefully when the woman from the front desk came to check on him. She didn't want another suicide in her hotel, and something about the boy set her on edge.<p>

* * *

><p>Garcia's face was lit by the bright computer screen as she sat in her bed. Within the next fifteen minutes the flight to China would be landing. A tag on Reid's passport made sure that she'd be contacted if he even sneezed in the wrong direction.<p>

"The trap is set, now you just need to walk into it."

* * *

><p>A sharp pain caused Reid to sit up straight abruptly. Too abruptly as he immediately banged his head on the slanted ceiling, sending yet another stab of fire through his skull.<p>

Tears sprung to his eyes and he gritted his teeth. The memory of what he'd done rushed back to him and caused more pain.

He looked at the clock on the bed stand. His plane to China would have landed by now. It was only a matter of time before the team realized he hadn't gone there. They would only have to trace the flight back to Hollywood, then the game would be over.

He had to get moving.

* * *

><p>"Morgan!" Garcia's voice carried across the BAU with tremendous force, earning her the attention of the entire team. Even Hotch appeared in the doorway of his office. "I need to talk to you. Right. Now."<p>

Morgan jogged over to her office and shut the door behind him. "What's up?"

"Reid didn't go to China."

"I thou-"

"He bought the tickets, which were quite pricey, mind you, but didn't take it to China. He did check onto the flight in Las Vegas, but when I checked the record for Los Angeles, he never got on the plane."

"So he's somewhere in Los Vegas?"

"Let's say somewhere in California. I have a tag on his credit card, passport, social security, phone, everything. If he uses anything, I will be able to find exactly where he is and we can go find out what's wrong with our genius."

* * *

><p>Reid pulled his shirt on and slipped into a sweater vest. He didn't really have clothes he wore on days off. He just had the clothes he had packed for the case.<p>

He tightened his tie and looked at himself in the small mirror. His wet hair looked like a mop on his forehead over his shadowed eyes. Even a good night's sleep couldn't rid his eyes of the dark tinge under them.

He vigorously rubbed his head with the single towel he had in his room.

* * *

><p>"Headin' out already?" The woman behind the front desk snapped her gum without looking out.<p>

"Yeah, uh, thanks for the room. What do I owe you?"

"Nothin'." Snap of the gum. "I wouldn't make anyone pay to sleep in that crap room. I see the bruise from where you hit your head."

Reid rub the bump on his head. "Really, I can pay."

"Nope. You just get along and solve your problems. If you need a place to stay, I can't guarantee anything, but that room will probably still be open."

"Thanks." Reid gave a half smile, still hesitating about whether or not he should just throw the money at her and run. _But_, he though._ No money means no paper trail._

He turned to go, messenger bag slung over his chest and small suitcase dragging after him.

* * *

><p>"So you think he's in Los Angeles?" Hotch's dark eyes bored into Morgan and Garcia.<p>

"Yes, sir." Garcia's head nodded rapidly and her pigtails bobbed in time. "I've got holds on anything that he could possibly use that'd give away his exact position."

"And you want me to give you both permission to take time off to find him?"

"Just me," Morgan said. "Garcia would stay here and help with the current cases but needs to have leave to give me any information that might help me track Reid down."

Hotch stared at the duo before him. The intensity in their eyes assured him that even if he said no, they would do it anyway.

"Alright," Hotch allowed. "Morgan, you go. Garcia, we still need all of your energy on our cases."

"You got it, sir," Garcia smiled, clasping her hands in front of her.

Morgan nodded and headed out the door, picking up the suitcase he had already prepared for the trip.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright, so there it is. THE SEARCH IS ON!<strong>

**It's going to get good. I promise.**

**And PLEASE read and review my Sherlock/Jack Sparrow crossover, **_**Thick as Thieves,**_** on **_**Carlisle's Coven**_**'s page. It's some fine work if I do say so myself :)**

**Reid and Review!**

**~MyDarkAngel710**


	10. Found and Lost

**Me: Ooooo… yep… this will be… interesting…**

**JJ: What?**

**Me: Nothing to do with you.**

**Prentiss: Who then?**

**Me: Not you either. Right now, Morgan, Garcia, Reid, and Hotch have the spotlight.**

**Rossi (to JJ and Prentiss): I don't know about you two, but I'm glad to be left out.**

**Hotch: Why exactly are we in the spotlight?**

**Me: No reason…**

* * *

><p>"<em>Running away will never make you free."<em>

_~Kenny Loggins_

* * *

><p>Morgan swung his bag from the baggage claim to his shoulder in one easy motion. "Hey, Garcia," he said to his phone. "I'm here. Did you get anything yet?"<p>

"Nothing yet, my sweet."

"Alright, just let me know if you find anything."

* * *

><p>Reid hailed a cab as rain began to sprinkle the ground around him.<p>

"Where to?"

"South Van Ness Avenue."

"Specific address?"

"Just the road, please." There was one secret Reid had managed to keep from the team for years. The secret of Lila. They were only friends, never had the chance to truly make it more. Both of them were too busy to keep up a steady relationship. He still visited every once in a while, mainly keeping it a secret from the team to avoid teasing. The most helpful outcome was the key that she had entrusted him with. Lila wasn't always home and was convinced that Reid needed a vacation spot so she gave him a key to her home in Los Angeles. _Strange how this came in handy_, Reid thought as the cab pulled up to a corner and idled.

"You sure this is fine?"

Reid nodded and handed over a wad of cash. "Thanks."

"No prob. Stay dry." The cab sped away as the rain picked up slightly.

Reid began walking toward the house, even the cool rain doing nothing for his aching head.

* * *

><p>Fingers pounding, Garcia's eyes darted from screen to screen. She had finished what the main team had required of her for the real case and now she was tracking down Reid. She sighed as she thought about the team. No smiles, even with her wittiest Garciaisms. Not even when they had saved the missing girl. They were all too worried about their missing member.<p>

Garcia clicked over to her phone as Morgan called. "Find anything?" she asked.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," Morgan laughed with no heart.

"I'm sorry, my king, but I haven't found anything on my prince yet." Garcia's frantic typing paused. "Hold on. It seems like you have an uncanny knack for calling at just the right time."

"What did you find?" The hope in Morgan's voice was guarded, but his excitement was evident.

"It seems like our boy was going more places than Las Vegas on vacations."

"What?"

"Every vacation for the past few years Reid has bought a one way ticket to Las Vegas and a one way ticket back from Los Angeles."

Garcia could practically hear Morgan frowned.

"I'll give you one guess as to when all this started."

"Lila Archer."

"Jackpot."

"Address?"

"Already sent."

"Thanks, Garcia. That's good work."

"Just call me when you find him."

"You got it, baby girl."

Garcia smiled to herself as she hit the end call button.

"Garcia?"

"Sir!" Garcia spun around at Hotch's voice. "I didn't know you guys were back yet!"

"We just got in." Hotch closed the door behind him. "Garcia, I have a job for you, but don't tell anyone in case this doesn't work out."

* * *

><p>Morgan parked the black SUV outside the large house. Only one light shone from Lila Archer's house. According to the information Garcia had sent, Lila was out of the country working on a film. No one should be home.<p>

Morgan went up to the door and hesitated at the doorbell. Should he ring it? Or should he just kick the door in? He settled for a combination.

Three seconds after ringing the bell and hearing nothing from inside, Morgan kicked in the door with surprising ease. "Hello?" he called inside.

A shadow disappeared into the lighted room.

Morgan drew his gun out of habit and hurried in. A man in jeans and a stripped hoodie was heading out the backdoor. A messenger bag was slung over his shoulder.

"Freeze," Morgan ordered. "Hands up and turn around."

The slender guy slowly turned toward Morgan, hood hiding his face.

Morgan squinted at him, trying to get a look at his face. "Take the hood off."

The man's arm bent, and slowly pulled the hood off of his head. Reid blinked in the light, a pained look on his face. "Hi, Morgan."

"Reid! We've been looking everywhere for you! What are you doing?"

"I just… needed some time to think."

"Listen, we can help. We know what's going on, kid, and we're all really worried about you."

"I know…"

"So come on. Let's go home," Morgan holstered his gun and stuck out a hand.

Reid hesitated. "I… can't…"

"What?" Morgan frowned.

"I can't go back." Reid started backing up. "I'm sorry." He turned and ran out the back door into the rain, leaving Morgan staring with one hand still outstretched.

* * *

><p>Hotch hung up the phone after talking to Morgan and stared at the number Garcia had managed to dig up for him. A last shot in the dark to bring his team back together.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Okey Dokey! I think this update was much more timely, right?<strong>

**Well, I hope you guys liked it and I hope that you will now journey to my other story which I am co-writing. Look! I made it really easy.**

**The link is right here! (just have to add ) .net/s/7518483/1/bThick_b_as_bTheives_b**

**Go check it out while I work on the next chapter. That story is much less depressing XD**

**Reid and Review!**

**~MyDarkAngel710**


	11. Phone Call, House Call

**I just caught up with the last few episodes of CM…. Reid makes me so sad…**

**Reid to Prentiss: You actually died?**

**Awww! And he had a near death experience! Aww! :(**

**And then there's Rossi… :*(**

**And then there's Henry! Awww…**

**But Reid so adorable that I always am left smiling :)**

**IDOCM**

* * *

><p>"<em>Calling old friends to make sure they're real, talking, talking just to feel that sense of home you lost when you left last year. Distance is just numbers on a dashboard, hours thinking about nothing but the transmission stutter you fear." ~Defiance Ohio<em>

* * *

><p>Morgan stood in shock for too long. By the time he fully registered the fact that his friend had left him, Reid was long gone.<p>

* * *

><p>Reid pulled the hood back over his head as he sprinted for Lila's back fence. Ever since Prentiss's "death" he had been working out more. He would never be bulked up like Morgan, but he was strong enough to get over a fence.<p>

_Where to now, Little Reid?_

* * *

><p>"I lost him." Morgan punched a tree in Lila's front yard. "He was right there, and I lost him!" He clenched his teeth.<p>

"It's not your fault," Garcia tried to comfort over the phone. "You couldn't have known he'd run."

"I should have known! He knew it was me and he was already running out the door. Damn," Morgan cursed under his breath as he noticed his bloody knuckles.

"What is it?" Garcia asked.

"Nothin'." Morgan moved to the SUV and pulled a first aid kit out of the glove box. "Do you know of anywhere else he would go?"

"Nothing, sweetums."

"I'll talk to you later," Morgan sighed as he dug out some gauze. "I gotta take care of somethin'."

"I'll call if I find anything." Garcia hung up and continued her search designated by Hotch. _Sorry, Derek, I don't want to get your hopes up that this will work._

* * *

><p>Reid stopped and bent over gasping for breath. He had absolutely no idea where he was, but the time to think while he was running had given him an idea of where he was going.<p>

* * *

><p>Her eyes and fingers moved with increased intensity as she neared her final target. She could feel the maze of information coming to an end, leading to that one bright piece of treasure. "Gotcha," she smiled in triumph as she hit the print button.<p>

Garcia grabbed the paper and quickly ran out of her room, her high heels clacking.

"Hotch! Hotch! Hotch!" she loud whispered as she neared his office. "Hotch! I foun-" She quickly shut her mouth and hid the paper behind her back when she saw Prentiss talking with Hotch.

"What's up?" Prentiss frowned at Garcia's guilty expression and actions.

"Nothing," Garcia smiled tightly.

Prentiss's eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to protest.

"I'll talk to you later, Prentiss," Hotch dismissed her.

Prentiss shot a look at Garcia as she left that said they would discuss it later, whether Garcia wanted to or not.

Garcia waited until the door clicked shut before she strode to Hotch and laid her findings out before him like a feast. She smiled. "I found him."

* * *

><p>Reid considered his options as he stood on the corner in the pouring rain. Bus? Car? Plane? It was a time for decisions. He glanced at his phone, but didn't turn it on. Garcia would trace him so quickly he wouldn't be able to sneeze before someone arrested him. The team probably wouldn't risk him escaping again. Reid wouldn't be surprised if they called the cops in to arrest him.<p>

He shook himself back to the present. He needed to focus. He took a deep breath, knowing that he was at a crossroads. He was either going to save himself, or ruin himself by doing this, and he was scared.

* * *

><p>"Do you really think this will help?" Garcia asked as Hotch picked up the phone.<p>

"It can't hurt. Maybe he'll have some ideas as to what we need to do."

Garcia clutched her hands in front of her, silently praying for a miracle.

"Hello?" a voice said over the phone.

"Jason."

"Hotch? How did you get this number? Wait… Penelope?"

"Hi, sir," Garcia spoke up from the background.

"What's the matter? You wouldn't waste time hunting me down unless it was important."

"It's Reid," Hotch sighed, finally letting the lines on his face show as he ran a hand over his eyes. "He's gone missing, Gideon."

* * *

><p>Reid stepped out of the taxi in Chula Vista, California, and stood staring up at the apartment building. <em>Fifth floor, room fourteen.<em> He had called in a favor of an old friend from Cal-Tech that worked in the hospital to get the address. He wasn't worried that the team would trace him because of it; Reid rarely spoke of his old friends to the team, and that was coming in handy.

One deep breath, three stairs, and a buzzer press.

Five seconds of silence.

"Can I help you?" a woman's tired voice came over the speaker.

"Hi, um, my name is Dr. Spencer Reid. I work for the FBI. Can I talk to you?"

A hesitation. "Yeah. Sure."

The door buzzed and Reid stepped inside.

* * *

><p>Jason Gideon hurried from the airport to the waiting black SUV. "Hotch," he nodded as he threw his suitcase in the backseat and got into the passenger side.<p>

"Good to see you." Hotch shook Gideon's extended hand. "Though I wish it wasn't under these circumstances."

Gideon nodded. "How long has he been missing?"

"Four days. Morgan tracked him to Lila Archer's house in California-"

"Lila Archer? From the stalker case?"

Hotch nodded. "When Morgan confronted him, Reid ran. That was the only lead we had."

"What about his mother?"

"Garcia called and he did visit his mother right before he disappeared for a short while."

"Possibly to say good-bye," Gideon understood. He was silent for a moment. "What aren't you telling me, Hotch?"

"Reid's been…" Hotch searched for the right word. "Struggling. No, not struggling. Suffering. He started developing headaches and when Prentiss was killed-"

"What?"

"She wasn't really killed, but she had to go into hiding. It's a long story."

"Another time then. Please continue."

"I don't think he really got over it."

"And how do you think I can help?"

"Because you left of your own accord, without warning, and without saying good-bye, much like Reid."

* * *

><p>"Mrs. Phillips?" Reid asked through the cracked door held shut by the security chain.<p>

"What do you want?" the woman asked through the crack.

"I just want to talk."

* * *

><p><strong>Hey all!<strong>

**Look who's back! Hehe! Of course he's back.**

**But what is Reid up to? Have you figured it out? Hmmm? O.o**

**Anyway, I would have had this up earlier, but I made the mistake of starting a House/CM fic and I got hooked. It's pretty epic, still be written but really good so far. It's called Variation on a Theme. Check it out.**

**AND READ MY OTHER FIC! THICK AS THIEVES! It's awesome :)**

**I will update tomorrow, I promise, if not later tonight :D**

**The faster you Reid and Review the faster the chapter will come up XD**

**~MyDakAngel710**


	12. Phillips

**How happy was I when there were 7 FanFic notes for me on my email? Excited enough to get this next chapter written quickly XD**

**Oh, and sorry for the last chapter being so long… I was at 600 words and thought "Great! I have plenty of words to work with!" Then I looked down and saw that there were over 1,000 and I wasn't at a good stopping point, so that chapter was pretty long I admit.**

**Anyway, I don't own Criminal Minds, though I am working on a fabricated lawsuit to at least own Spencer Reid ;-}**

* * *

><p>Morgan pulled into a gas station having already spent an entire gas tank scouring the city of Los Angeles for Reid in the past four hours.<p>

"Back again?" the cashier asked.

"Yeah. Lots of driving today."

The teen nodded and rung him up.

"Thanks, kid," Morgan said without thinking. He clenched his jaw and returned to his car. A sharp pain shot through his bandaged hand as he punched the side of the SUV before driving away again.

_Where could he possibly have gotten to?_ he asked himself.

* * *

><p>Reid sat awkwardly, perched on an old couch in Mrs. Phillips room.<p>

"Can I get you anything?" she asked before sitting in a nearby armchair.

_Coffee. Black Coffee._ "No, thank you."

"So." An awkward silence. "You're inside my house and apparently from the FBI. What do you want?"

_Does she really not know who I am?_ Reid wondered. He would know the person that was partially responsible for a loved one's death.

* * *

><p>Gideon took a deep breath before following Hotch into the Bull Pen. They had almost made it to the conference room when the buzz started.<p>

"Is that-?"

"Gideon?"

"Didn't he-?"

"I heard-"

In the team's corner, JJ and Prentiss looked up with shock on their faces, immediately rising to follow the two men to the conference room.

Rossi beat them all in. "Jason Gideon. Long time no see."

"Rossi," Gideon nodded as he shook the man's hand.

Garcia, Prentiss, and JJ mobbed Gideon as soon as they entered. Garcia spouting apologies and the other women asking what the heck was going on.

Prentiss paused, a sudden look of enlightenment brightening her face. "This is about Reid."

Hotch nodded.

* * *

><p>"Mrs. Phillips, I… I was there when Ryan was killed."<p>

Mrs. Phillips froze, her eyes suddenly seeing Reid like they hadn't before. "You've cut your hair."

Reid was startled by the unexpected comment. "Yeah. Last year."

She nodded, her eyes boring into his, trying to read what he was thinking before he put anything into words. "Ryan struggled after his dad died. I tried to help him, but I couldn't…" She paused. "Why are you here?" she asked, her voice catching the smallest bit.

Reid met her gaze. "I wanted to say I'm sorry. It's partially my fault he died."

* * *

><p>The team in Quantico plus Gideon sat around the conference table.<p>

"Why did you leave?" Hotch asked Gideon.

Gideon sat still, arms crossed over his chest, staring at the table top. "It was a personal decision. I lost the ability to see the good in the world after Sarah died. I needed to take a step back and try to find something to believe in again."

"So what have you been doing?"

The questions were deep and Gideon wanted nothing more than to return to his house in the mountains, but he knew he had to help if he could. "I avoided everything from my old life. I ran to a different place and tried to find myself. My happy self. For a while I tried to ignore the past, but…" Gideon shook his head. "You can't ignore the past. You need to face it."

Hotch frowned at the table, his eyes searching the wood for an answer that he could almost see.

"Ignore the past…" JJ sat up with a start. "What if that's what Reid's doing?"

"What?" Prentiss asked.

"What if he's revisiting his past!"

Everyone in the room stared at her for a moment, then they suddenly understood.

"Garcia, I need you to pull all of our case files for easy access," Hotch ordered. He turned to the rest of the team. "Which cases would hold the most weight with Reid?"

* * *

><p>"You think you could have stopped that man from killing Ryan?"<p>

"I do. If I had gotten there first I know I could have." Reid gritted his teeth, staring at the floor.

"You… you…" Mrs. Phillips gulped back tears. "You saw him killed?"

"Yes. I was standing right there." Mrs. Philips stayed silent so Reid kept going. "Mr. Vaughan was standing there with Ryan and his daughter kept telling her dad to shoot him. I tried to talk him down. I tried to convince him to let Ryan live, but…" Reid squeezed his eyes shut, hearing the gunshot and seeing the blood splatter against the wall. He just stood there. He didn't even stop Vaughan when he had taken Lindsey and walked past. If the rest of the team hadn't shown up- no, that didn't make a difference. A state's witness with that much weight was protected no matter what. But still, if Vaughan hadn't been protected, he could have walked away with Lindsey and escaped. All because Reid wasn't paying attention.

"You're right."

Reid was startled out of his thoughts, his head snapping up.

"You probably could have saved my son. Ryan made a mistake and he needed to pay for it, but he shouldn't have died the way he did. You could have saved him."

He let his head drop back down. Confirmation of what he had feared.

"But I forgive you."

Reid looked up. The sad puppy dog look laid plain and pleading.

"You tried and failed with your methods, but you had enough guts to come talk to a kidnapper and killer's mother to apologize. That's enough for me." She laughed, again surprising him. "All these years I've been trying to move past what happened, to try and forget, start a new life. I couldn't afford to move, though, and none of my friends talk to me anymore…" Lines formed on Mrs. Phillips's forehead, and Reid noticed the grey roots framing her face. "You tried to do the same, didn't you?" she suddenly understood. "But you couldn't."

"It's not just Ryan," Reid admitted. "But this is a start."

She smiled. "Yes, it is."

* * *

><p>Five hours later, Reid was finally leaving the apartment.<p>

Mrs. Phillips smiled as she watched him go down the road from the window. It was the first time she'd smiled in a long time.

She turned back to her small apartment and noticed an envelope laying on the coffee table. Her name was scrawled on it.

She opened it and pulled out a letter.

"_Mrs. Phillips,_

_ I know I can never really right what happened. No one can. But I hope that this will help you with your new life. Use it for whatever you need._

_Sincerely,_

_Dr. Spencer Reid"_

She reached back into the envelope and pulled out a check for fifteen-thousand dollars.

* * *

><p><strong>Heeellllooo there!<strong>

**Wow! These chapters are just getting really long, aren't they?**

**Hope you don't mind. I was trying to keep it simple, but I just couldn't get to a good stopping point.**

**So, do you like how this is going? In case you don't know who Ryan Phillips is, he is from episode 3x12 "3rd Life". Who do you think he's going to try and find next?  
><strong>

**Reid and Review!**

**~MyDarkAngel710**


	13. Next

**Morgan: There you are! Where have you been?**

**Me: Oh… around… What? Did you miss me?**

**Prentiss: Miss is a strong word…**

**JJ: I missed her. She's funny.**

**Me: Thanks!**

**Reid: That's only because she doesn't write stories about you!**

**Me (smiling evilly): Actually, my "If" story needs to be updated…. But that can wait a couple of weeks I think.**

**I don't own Criminal Minds. But don't you wish I did? XD**

* * *

><p><em>Abandon-<em>

_To give up absolutely; to forsake entirely ; to renounce utterly; to __**relinquish all connection with or concern on**__; to __**desert**__ a __**person to whom one owes allegiance or fidelity**__; to quit; to __**surrender**__.__  
><em>

* * *

><p>Garcia bustled into the room where the team sat going over case files, searching for things that Reid might associate with.<p>

"What about this one?" JJ asked holding up a photo.

"I don't think Reid ever had actual contact with the victims or the unsub," Prentiss shook her head.

"Guys, guys," Garcia gained their attention. "I think I found something. I placed a tag on Reid's bank account and within the past hour fifteen thousand dollars was withdrawn by a Ms. Anne Marie Phillips. The check was dated for two days ago."

"Phillips? That sounds familiar…" Rossi mused.

"Of course it does. Phillips is the mother of Ryan Phillips, who was killed by Mr. Vaughan," Garcia explained.

"From the Witness Protection Program," Hotch understood.

"Right!" Garcia nodded.

"Reid saw Ryan get killed. He was trying to talk Vaughan down when Ryan was shot," Rossi remembered.

"That seems like a good place to start," Gideon said from his post at the end of the table. He had barely made a dent in the case files, even after reading them for two days. He was still in shock over how many cases the team had done without him. It wasn't that he thought the team would just stop working when he left, but still… He looked at the countless folders spread on the table. Only a small percentage were familiar to him, the rest belonged to a different team than the one he had known.

* * *

><p>Reid stood in front of the mental hospital. He hadn't visited in a while; he'd kept telling himself it was because he was busy with cases, but he knew that it was more than that. He couldn't face his failure all the time.<p>

* * *

><p>Morgan was back at Quantico. After two days of searching for Reid and finding no trace of him, he had caught the first flight back. Garcia had told him the team was on to something and that they needed his help. He'd sensed that there was something she wasn't telling him, but she had ended the call before he could ask her what was up.<p>

He stepped off the elevator and threw his overnight bag down at his desk before jogging up the stairs to the conference room.

"What have you guys-" Morgan froze as his eyes registered the man with glasses at the end of the table.

"I'll brief you." Hotch quickly rose from the table and led Morgan out with a firm hand on the shoulder.

"What's going on?" Morgan asked as soon as the door to Hotch's office closed, accusation in his voice.

"We need help."

"And you think _he's_ the best option? He abandoned Reid! He abandoned all of us!"

"Morgan," Hotch warned. "Calm down."

"Calm down?" Morgan fumed. He opened his mouth to make another accusation, but was stopped by Hotch.

"If you haven't notice, Reid 'abandoned' us much like Gideon did. I'm hoping that Gideon can help us think like him." He held up a hand to stop Morgan from speaking. "He's already gotten us on the right path. He suggested we look at old cases and find ones that would cause Reid to revisit them. Reid visited Ryan Phillips's mother."

Realization dawned on Morgan as he remembered the school and Reid staring at shock at the body on the floor.

"That was two days ago. We're looking for other cases right now."

Morgan nodded in understanding.

Hotch waited for a minute, gauging Morgan's level of anger, before leading him back into the conference room.

Rossi, JJ, and Prentiss all exchanged glances as Morgan came in and sat down. The silence was palpable. Gideon didn't move except to turn a page.

Morgan grabbed a file and stared at the words, not really comprehending. His mind raced as he tried to think of a case that Reid felt connected to. Tobias Hankel was an obvious choice, but Tobias was dead.

Morgan froze.

_They were standing on a roof, Reid squinting against the sun._

"_What's this really about?" Morgan asked._

"_Tobias Hankel."_

"_Tobias Hankel drugged and tortured you for two days."_

"_No, the altered persona of his father did those things to me. The real Tobias saved my life. He brought me back from the dead."_

"_So you think because of Tobias you owe Adam?"_

Morgan stood up so fast JJ jumped in her chair. "Adam Jackson," was all he had to say.

* * *

><p>"Dr. Reid!" Dr. Ticona Roberts was surprised to see the lanky man before her. He'd cut his hair and it looked like he needed a Tylenol and a good night's sleep.<p>

"Hi, Dr. Roberts," Reid half smiled. "I was hoping I could see Amanda."

* * *

><p><strong>Hello all!<strong>

**I hope you liked the chapter. I was between two people for this chapter and I'm excited to write the next installment.**

**I hope you guys liked the chapter!**

**Reid and Review! :)**

**~MyDarkAngel710**


	14. AdamAmanda

**Me: I love this show!**

**Morgan (from kitchen where team convened): What are you watching? Us?**

**Me: No, Psych! It's just so funny and entertaining... and I can actually use some of the ideas from the show to impress people!**

**Garcia: Wait, are you leaving us?**

**Me: No! No, of course not. It's simply that you decided to take the week off and Psych was on USA and now I love it.**

**Reid: You know, I feel kind of betrayed…**

**Me: Oh, Spencer (laugh)**

**Reid (puzzled): You never call me Spencer.**

**Me: I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to Shawn Spencer.**

**Reid: Now I feel replaced.**

**I don't own Criminal Minds, Psych, or USA network… or the country USA.**

* * *

><p>"<em>Life is painful and messed up. It gets complicated at the worst of times, and sometimes you have no idea where to go or what to do. Lots of times people just let themselves get lost, dropping into a wide open, huge abyss. But that's why we have to keep trying. We have to push through all that hurts us, work past all our memories that are haunting us. Sometimes the things that hurt us are the things that make us strongest. A life without experience, in my opinion, is no life at all. And that's why I tell everyone that, even when it hurts, never stop yourself from living." ~ Alysha Speer<em>

* * *

><p>"Dr. Reid, it's been a while," Amanda said, blowing the smoke from her cigarette.<p>

"Yes, I've… been busy."

Her red lips parted in a smile. "You're not a very good liar, Dr. Reid." Another drag. "What is it that you really want?" Amanda asked, raising an eyebrow. "Are you here to look for Adam again?"

"No, actually. I'm here to talk to you."

"Me? Well, now you have my attention." Amanda uncrossed her legs and leaned forward, her hazel eyes prying into Reid's own hazel eyes. "What could you possibly want with little old me?"

* * *

><p>"Come on Garcia. What's the institute Adam's in?" Morgan leaned over his baby girl's shoulder as she clicked through information.<p>

"Here we go." Garcia pulled up the information on her computer and sent it to everyone's tablets.

"Thanks, Baby Girl." Morgan patted her on the back before jogging back to the conference room. The clock was ticking, and who knew how long they had before Reid moved on, if he hadn't already.

* * *

><p>"You feel guilty?" Amanda sat back and cocked her head, a smirk playing on her lips. "What could you possibly have done?"<p>

"I could have seen the signs. I could have gotten him help."

"Adam doesn't need _your_ help," Amanda said vehemently. "I'm all the help Adam needs. He can rest in peace now."

"Do you really believe that?" Reid asked, his temper flaring from all the pent up stress. "If it weren't for you, Adam could be living a normal life right now. He could be happy!"

"What do you know about Adam? Did you live with him for years? Did you protect him from his father? Did you give him the strength to live?" Amanda demanded, standing up to face him. "You have no idea how he felt!"

"How do you know I don't understand?" Reid countered. "I lived with a schizophrenic mother and my father abandoned us. I was tortured by a man who had multiple personality disorder. I was addicted to drugs. I deal everyday with people that I can't help, no matter how hard I try…" Reid stopped himself and took a deep breath. "I think I have an idea of what Adam went through. And now he's being held prisoner by you like Tobias was held prisoner by his other personalities. Why don't you let him go?"

Reid and Amanda stared each other down. Her cigarette sat limply between her fingers, her lips slightly parted and eyes wide.

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes was all it took from getting the address of the institute to taking off with the team in the jet.<p>

Thirty minutes more for Reid to do what needed to be done.

* * *

><p>"Amanda, I know that you have good intentions-"<p>

"We've had this discussion, Dr. Reid, and I have no wish to continue it." Amanda settled back into her seat, the confrontation had settled after Reid's rant. She put out her dying cigarette.

"Is Adam still gone?"

She hesitated. "Yes."

Reid sensed her lie. "He is coming back."

"No, he's not." She was firm in word, but her lip trembled ever so slightly.

"Adam's coming back, isn't he?"

* * *

><p>"Dr. Roberts, has Dr. Reid come by here?" Morgan asked as the doctor rounded the corner.<p>

"Um, yes, he was just… why do you ask?"

Morgan hesitated as he struggled to avoid giving the facts.

"We were supposed to meet him for lunch and were trying to catch up with him," Prentiss jumped in.

"Oh," Dr. Roberts said, looking around at the large group. "I'm sorry, but you just missed him… He was visiting a patient."

"Amanda?" Rossi asked.

"Yes, uh, how did you know?"

"We're the rest of the team. We worked with him on the case," Hotch explained.

"Oh! I see," Dr. Roberts was obviously relieved. "I'm sure you'll be happy to know that Reid made excellent progress with Amanda. It appears that Adam has been resurfacing. Amanda is still trying to suppress him, but there is definite hope now."

"About how long ago did Reid leave?"

"Um, about an hour I believe."

"Thank you for your time," Hotch nodded and led the team back outside.

"So we're back to square one?" JJ asked.

"No, we have one person down, and we have a better idea of what cases Spencer is visiting," Gideon said.

* * *

><p>Reid stepped onto the plane, more than a little worried. He had been forced to pay part of the air fare with a credit card, but through a series of exchanges he hoped to buy enough time to avoid Garcia's tracking, though how much time was up in the air.<p>

He went to his seat and quickly shut his window, blocking the midday sun. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, hoping to catch a little shut eye within the next approximately two hours and twenty-six minutes.

"Good afternoon, passengers. Welcome to Flight 211 ..."

* * *

><p><strong>Alright! Sorry this took so long to get up. Busy week and break and what not :-)<strong>

**Besides that, I wonder if you all can figure out who Reid is going to visit next. It should be quite obvious if you can find my hidden clue ;-)**

**Hope everyone likes the update, I thought a little hope in Reid's life would be a good thing at this point.**

**Reid and Review!**

**~MyDarkAngel710**


	15. Harris

**Me: Do do doooo!**

**(blank stares)**

**Me: Oh, come on! It's my theme song.**

**(blank stares)**

**Me: It needs a little work… so shoot me.**

**I don't own Criminal Minds… or a theme song…**

* * *

><p>"<em>I drown in hesitation my words come crashing down and all my best creations burning to the ground. The thought of starting over leaves me paralyzed." ~Dream Theater<em>

* * *

><p>What was the likely hood of it happening again? Of Reid walking up the steps of the subway and running into him?<p>

If Reid's head wasn't pounding, he probably could have come up with an exact statistic.

* * *

><p><em>5 hours earlier…<em>

"You are _not_ getting away with this!" Garcia typed at the speed of light. Reid was good at hiding his moves, but not that good. Garcia would find him. Oh, she would find him.

* * *

><p><em>Present...<em>

Nathan Harris was going down the subway steps. Reid was coming up. This time it was Reid who stopped the young man.

"Nathan!" Reid said, quickly turning and fighting the flow of people to keep with Nathan.

The young man's steps stuttered on the stairs. "Dr. Reid?"

* * *

><p><em>5 hours earlier...<em>

Morgan paced the jet and ran a hand over his head. "Come on Garcia," he whispered to himself.

* * *

><p><em>Present...<em>

At a coffee shop on a street corner, Reid sat across from Nathan and greedily drank his coffee. He hadn't stopped for a cup in a few days and he was really hoping for a slight reduction in his headache.

"Why are you here?" Nathan asked, staring down at his cinnamon roll.

"I, uh, I thought I would check up on you is all," Reid half-smiled, wishing that Nathan would at least act happy.

The corners of Nathan's mouth twitched. "Years after the fact you decide to come and check up? Shouldn't you have come sooner to make sure I wasn't a killer?"

Reid pressed down on his temple with two fingers. "I didn't think you would become one. How have you been?"

"I went someplace for a little while... well, a year and six months isn't a little while I guess. I'm better now. I have meds and a job in the library away from any dead bodies," Nathan half-smiled, still avoiding eye contact.

"That's good," Reid said, trying to grab at any normal conversation.

"Yeah, I do a lot of reading nowadays. Learn a lot of stuff." Nathan finally looked up. "How are you?"

"Fine." Reid took a large gulp as coffee as a siren screamed past.

"Dr. Reid, I'm crazy, not stupid. You lie about as well as the old lady that keeps saying she returned her book last week."

Reid stammered, but Nathan cut him off.

"Listen, Dr. Reid, I owe you thanks." He stood and slung a messenger bag similar to Reid's over his shoulder. "You saved my life. I-I-… At first, I was angry with you. I wanted to die I thought it was the only way. It still seems like it would have been the easiest way… but I've realized that sometimes you need to hang on to something. Besides, I realized that if I ever really did lose it, you would be right there, hunting me down and taking me in." He looked at his watch. "I really have to go. Group therapy starts in fifteen minutes." He began to walk away, but stopped and turned back. "Oh, and if you pinch the muscle between your thumb and forefinger you might be able to get rid of that headache. Don't let go too fast, though, or else it hurts even worse." Nathan Harris walked away and disappeared into the crowd.

* * *

><p><em>4 hours earlier…<em>

"Get here fast!" Garcia said as soon as the phone clicked on. "Reid took a flight to D.C."

"D.C.?" Prentiss asked over the speaker phone.

"I can answer this one," Garcia gulped at the image of a boy bleeding on a hotel bed. "It's Nathan Harris."

Hotch nodded. "I remember him."

* * *

><p><em>Presetnt...<em>

Reid finished his coffee in silence. He was glad to see Nathan was doing well, but there were still a few more people he needed to see before he could end this.

* * *

><p><em>5 minutes later…<em>

Morgan ran into the coffee shop. Reid's ATM card had been traced to a machine just outside. If Morgan knew anything about Reid, it was that he never passed up a chance for some coffee. He hurried up to the front counter, the rest of the team close behind him, scanning the room.

"Have you seen this man?" Morgan asked, producing a picture of Reid at last Halloween.

"Uh, yeah, without the, uh, Michael Myers mask… He was talking to this kid."

"Is he still here?"

"No, uh, he left a couple minutes ago."

Morgan banged a fist on the counter and clenched his jaw. "Thanks," he said, turning and walking out.

"We missed him by this much, Hotch. A few minutes."

"That means we are getting closer."

* * *

><p><strong>Hi All!<strong>

**Sorry this took so long… Finals are coming up and I just couldn't get the last part finished. But, now it's done and up! Hope you like it. And Major CONGRATS to kc1997kc for guessing Nathan Harris! Good work! And you picked up on my 211 hint. Nice =)**

**Reid and Review!**

**~MyDarkAngel710**


	16. Clue?

**Be warned! We are going to enter the den of the genius as I see it!**

**But it could look totally different, as I don't own Criminal Minds.**

* * *

><p>"<em>This is not a clue… Or is it?"<em>

_~Nancy Cartwright_

* * *

><p>"Five thousand dollars?"<p>

"That's exactly how much Reid withdrew," Garcia assured Morgan.

The team was back in the conference room in Quantico, combing through cases.

"How much money does this kid have?"

"Well, the only vacations he ever takes is to visit his mom and I doubt he spends much on anything living alone," Rossi added.

The room went silent as everyone thought the same thing.

"His apartment," Gideon finally voiced.

* * *

><p>"Why didn't we come here in the first place?" JJ asked as she, Morgan, and Prentiss jogged up the steps to Reid's apartment."We always go to the house when we are working a case."<p>

"Reid is _not_ an unsub," Morgan said, stopping to face JJ. "We don't treat him the same way."

"Morgan," Prentiss said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe that's exactly what we need to do."

Morgan clenched his jaw, but let the comment slide. Even though he didn't want to admit it, Prentiss had a point.

They arrived at Reid's door and Prentiss used the key she had gotten from then landlord to get them in.

The layout was simple. A bookshelf covered one wall, a coffee table sat in the middle and a few mismatched armchairs were scattered around. Everything was covered in paper, even the electronic piano.

"Wow. Someone needs to clean up," Morgan said with raised eyebrows.

"What _is_ all this?" JJ asked, picking up a sheet.

Prentiss shrugged and went to the first door. A closet with hardly anything in it, just an umbrella, a coat, and a light jacket.

Morgan opened the other door and found Reid's bedroom. Another bookshelf was on one wall, a small dresser on the opposite. Reid's bed was a mess, like he had experienced quite a few sleepless nights. A large book of medical terms sat on his nightstand.

Prentiss went to the only other door in the bedroom. The bathroom was small, and Prentiss was almost surprised at how neat it was compared to the front room. "Well," she said, hedging a tube of hair gel. "Now we know how his hair looks so good."

"Guys," JJ said from the bedroom door, flipping through a jumbled pile of papers. "This is crazy. A lot of these are old cases. There's also some medical stuff in here... And a few papers in different languages. Oh, and I think this might be a thesis he's working on."

"What are the old cases?" Morgan asked, his interest peaked.

"Uh, this one is... Nathan Harris," JJ frowned. "Hang on a sec... This medical report is on Adam and Amanda!"

"How long has he been planning this?" Prentiss demanded, going to grab her own stack of papers.

"We don't know if he actually was," Morgan cautioned. "It's possible that he was just reviewing old cases."

"Either way," Prentiss said as she re-entered the bedroom. "It seems that the answer to where Reid's headed could be in this mess."

* * *

><p>Four hours later, Reid's bedroom had become a house of sorting. Large piles were quickly forming of medical files, cases, sheet music, essays, and foreign language papers.<p>

"What is he trying to do?" Prentiss asked as she placed another paper on the essay pile.

"No idea," Morgan shrugged his shoulders, busying himself by starting to read through the stack of cases.

"Guys!" JJ called as she came running back into the bedroom with a piece of paper. "I found a letter. You won't believe who it's from."

Morgan snatched the paper and skimmed it over. Lines jumped out at him: "seen it coming" "could have stopped me" "blame you" "ruined my life". He was shocked when he saw the signature at the bottom. He was dialing Hotch before he spoke.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay! One last game of who is it? If you can guess this one I will be thoroughly impressed. Oh, and just to let you know, it could get messy soon. I don't think Reid's next visitor is going to be too nice. CMS was right, this is strange how lucky Reid has been, but all luck streaks end.<strong>

**Reid and Review, only a few chapters left!**

**~MyDarkAngel710**


	17. Greenaway

**Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we? Back to the very beginning. Okay, not baby beginning, but first season and second season beginning. Even though the team seems so complete how it is, there have been two members to leave from the original group. One man one woman. Both left after circumstances concerning cases.**

**One has rejoined his old team out of necessity to find a missing member.**

**The other is the reason the member went missing in the first place.**

**I don't own CM.**

* * *

><p><em>"Two persons connot long be friends if they connot forgive the each other's little failings."<em>

_~Jean De La Bruyere_

* * *

><p>Reid had been standing outside the house for a good fifteen minutes. He just couldn't work up the nerve to go up to the door.<p>

* * *

><p>"What?" Hotch demanded over the phone. He couldn't believe what Morgan was telling him was true. There was no way.<p>

"What is it?" Gideon asked, Rossi and Garcia just as riveted.

"The letter, it's from Elle," Morgan repeated.

* * *

><p>She opened the door after Reid's third hesitant knock. She looked almost exactly the same. Dark brown hair going just passed her shoulders and curling slightly, brown eyes containing the same coolness she maintained so well. She was wearing jeans and a blue T-shirt. She stood with her head cocked to one side, wiping her hands on a dish towel.<p>

"Reid? Is that you?" she asked, blinking her eyes in surprise.

"Yeah, uh, may I come in?" Reid asked, removing his sunglasses and squinting in the slight sunlight.

* * *

><p>"Come on, Garcia. Where did she go?" Hotch said, pacing the room.<p>

"I've almost got it. She's moved around a lot in the past few years. There. Wow… This is actually pretty close…"

Morgan, JJ, and Prentiss hurried into the room. "Here," Morgan said, depositing the letter on the table.

Gideon picked it up and started reading aloud, obviously analyzing every word. "Doctor Spencer Reid…"

* * *

><p>"Sure, come on in." Elle stepped aside, letting Reid enter. She glanced around outside, seeming to look for someone, before closing the door.<p>

Reid stopped just inside, wringing his hands. "Elle… I…"

"Let me make you some coffee." Elle turned quickly and led Reid down the darkened hallway toward the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"This has been coming for a long time. It took me a while to sort out exactly where my life took a wrong turn, but I finally figured it out. It was you. You ruined my life," Gideon continued, his eyebrows raising at the last two sentences.<p>

"What?" Garcia demanded, staring in shock across the table.

"You got into the BAU before me, even though you were just a kid and couldn't even pass the FBI test without them making an exception. I worked for years and barely made it in. Do you know the type of effect it had on me? A kid getting in before an experienced agent? Who had heard of that before you?..."

* * *

><p>"So, uh, Elle. How have you been?" Reid asked as Elle began brewing a cup of coffee.<p>

Elle shrugged, avoiding the question. "How's your team?"

"Uh, fine." Reid swallowed and averted his eyes. "Gideon left and now David Rossi and Emily Prentiss are with us."

"I see," Elle said shortly. "But you stuck with it, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I, uh, I just really enjoy the job."

* * *

><p>"That's not the end of it. You continuously showed me up. In the train, I could have done it. I could have taken care of that guy, but no. You had to step in and be the hero. I didn't need your help."<p>

"She's being very accusing," Rossi commented. "Using 'you' instead of 'I' can be seen as hostile."

"Then there was that game. The game that started with me getting blamed for a murder I didn't commit. And then got me shot. Do you know whose fault it is that all of that happened? Yours…"

* * *

><p>"Why are you here, Reid?" Elle asked, crossing her arms and staring at him unblinking.<p>

"I-I-I just wanted to say I'm sorry, for what it's worth."

Elle's eyebrow raised and the corner of her lip twitched. "Sorry?"

* * *

><p>"How dare you share all of our secrets through letters with your crazy mom?..."<p>

"Whoa," Prentiss said, taken aback by the hard hit. She couldn't believe that a friend could be that brutal.

"How dare you. It was your letters that got him to contact us in the first place. It was your discussions of King Arthur and the round table that got that guy so worked up. It started with you. But then you magically redeemed yourself by figuring out the puzzle and saving that girl. You didn't get blamed one bit…"

* * *

><p>"You want to apologize to me?"<p>

"Yeah," Reid said, sinking deeper into his chair.

"Sorry's a little late, don't you think?"

* * *

><p>"You could have stopped me. That night that truly ended my career. You could have seen the signs. I know you saw the signs. You could have called someone or followed me to make sure I didn't do anything. Or you could have arrested that creep in the first place. We know it was him. You and the entire team let him get away. That was when it all truly ended for me."<p>

A confused look passed between Rossi and Prentiss.

"Elle went undercover so we could catch a serial rapist. She couldn't handle the pressure and blew the stake out before we could get any hard evidence. She later went and shot and killed the man, claiming self-defense," Hotch explained.

* * *

><p>"It's your fault that I'm stuck where I am," Elle said, an edge creeping into her voice. "I have nothing left."<p>

"El-"

"Don't, Reid. It's too late for that."

* * *

><p>"I blame you, Dr. Reid. No matter how much the others say that you did nothing wrong, it was always your fault. And I'm sure as Hell not the only one who you've ruined. You failed so many of us, and we just never have the guts to tell you. But I'm through with hiding. I'm telling you right now that it was all your fault. Everything that happened was because of you. And I will never, ever, forgive you for that." Gideon put down the paper and rubbed his eyes. "Signed Elle Greenaway."<p>

Morgan shook his head. "I don't like this. It was dated three months ago. Reid had already been suffering from headaches, but this probably pushed him over the edge."

"He's been researching old cases ever since," Prentiss understood.

"Combing through them to find out where he made mistakes," JJ concluded.

"That doesn't matter anymore," Hotch warned, bringing Elle back into focus. "The writing in this letter suggests a very emotional individual. Something in Elle snapped."

"I have the stressor," Garcia chimed in. "Elle's mom died about four months ago in a car crash. The other driver died as well, and when the crash was reviewed, it was determined that Elle's mom was the one at fault."

"So the person she blamed got away unblamed, and she's latched onto this idea of revenge. And Reid is her target," Rossi said, lacing his fingers behind his head and leaning back in his chair, his eyes drawn to the ceiling.

* * *

><p>"Bu-"<p>

"No, Reid. Stop. I told you, it's no use. You made your mistakes, and you need to account for them."

Reid shut his eyes, his headache raging, blurring his thoughts.

"Here."

Reid's eyes snapped open. Elle held out a coffee cup, her eyes intense.

* * *

><p><strong>No one saw that coming, did they? But is it really that hard to imagine? Elle's run didn't end well, and I could see her cracking even more than she did.<strong>

**Did you see how fast I got this up? Impressive, right? XD**

**Reid and Review!**

**~MyDarkAngel710**


	18. Ketamine

**Me (singing): "And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love… you make!"**

**(Blank stares)**

**Rossi: You are getting no love.**

**Me: Ooo! Ouch! That hurt. That really hurt.**

**I don't own Criminal Minds…. Or their love… :*(**

* * *

><p>"<em>We really don't have enemies. It's just that some of our best friends are trying to kill us."<em>

_~Unknown_

* * *

><p>"Drink, Dr. Reid. It will make everything better."<p>

* * *

><p>"Do you think she'll try anything?" Prentiss asked as every member of the team, including Garcia, jumped into SUV's.<p>

"I sure hope not," Morgan frowned as he jumped in the driver's seat and pulled away, Garcia in the back.

JJ and Gideon got into an SUV with Hotch and Rossi.

"Alright, baby girl, where are we going."

"You're lovely GPS is telling you to go to North Street and take a right."

* * *

><p>Reid accepted the cup, his headache making his mind and vision hazy. "Thanks," he mumbled.<p>

"Don't thank me till you taste it. My coffee is to die for."

"Hey, uh, Elle?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you calling me Doctor instead of just Reid?"

Elle laughed darkly. "I think our friendship went a little stale. I can call you Reid if you really want me to, I suppose."

"It would be nice."

* * *

><p>"Turn here!" Garcia commanded.<p>

"How much farther?" Morgan asked, the seconds ticking away.

"Um, another twenty blocks it looks like."

"Damn," Morgan hit the steering wheel. If they didn't have to be driving without a siren, he could have been there by now.

* * *

><p>"This is really good," Reid said after drinking half the cup.<p>

Elle smiled, back to work cleaning dishes in the sink.

_But it's really not helping my headache,_ Reid thought to himself. He pinched his hand between his index finger and thumb like Nathan had mentioned, surprised when it actually helped. He looked back at the coffee, wondering exactly how to drink and hold onto his hand. He frowned at the odd white specks on the edge of his cup.

"How do you make your coffee?" he asked Elle.

"This mix stuff." Elle nodded to a plastic bag.

The powder was brown.

Reid blinked, suddenly aware of the drowsiness he was starting to feel. "Elle, what are you doing?"

"Washing dishes." Elle cast a sideways glance at Reid, raising a rather large butcher knife from the soap suds.

* * *

><p>"Two more blocks. White house on the left."<p>

Prentiss pulled out her gun with Garcia's final directions.

* * *

><p>"Elle." Reid started to stand, but was forced to lean against the counter for support, extraordinarily drowsy.<p>

"Reid, why did you come here? Aren't you supposed to be a good profiler? You should know that once a killer starts." Elle wiped the soap suds off the blade. "It's extremely hard for her to stop. Especially when a moment presents itself."

* * *

><p>The SUVs screeched to a stop outside Elle's house.<p>

Hotch waved everyone to him. "We don't know if she's hostile, but we have to prepare for the worst," he warned. "Gideon, Garcia, you both wait out here until someone gives the all clear, understood?"

Both nodded.

"Alright. Let's move in."

* * *

><p>"I didn't even have to hunt you down. No, you came right to me. Some prodigy you are," Elle scoffed.<p>

"Please," Reid said, backing up to the wall, his vision blurring a bit around the edges.

"You know, they tried putting depressed people on Ketamine for a while." Elle laughed. "It didn't work so I just started stocking up. You never know when an anesthetic will come in handy." She harshly grabbed Reid's elbow and steadied him as he faltered. "I couldn't be too careful, so I may have given you a little extra than needed."

Reid tried to talk, but it came out as a mumbled mess.

"Come on, Reid, no statistics for me?" Without warning Elle kneed Reid in the gut, causing him to double over and lose his balance. "You just couldn't resist putting in-" A kick this time to the prone figure. "-your two cents when I was on the team."

A moment of clarity gave Reid the opportunity to grabbed at Elle's next kick and twist her foot, causing her to lose her own balance and fall to the floor. Reid scrabbled for the knife as it slid across the room, barely managing to grab it before her. He scuttled backward, fighting his tired eyes, the knife held in front of him.

Elle faced him on all fours. She was going to try and take him, he could tell.

"Elle, stop. Please," Reid begged, searching his mind for something to reason with.

"Don't beg, Reid. It's pointless."

"Elle, what happened? It wasn't just me, was it?" Reid asked desperately.

Elle's eyes widened ever so slightly, tears beginning to form before she shook them away. "It doesn't matter. Someone needs to be blamed, and it's you!" She launched herself at him, even though he had a knife. Even though it was suicide.

* * *

><p>A yell was barely audible from inside the house. The team turned as one in shock, standing still for three silent seconds. Then everyone ran for the house. Morgan first, followed my Hotch and Prentiss then JJ and Rossi. Gideon and Garcia brought up the rear, against orders.<p>

Morgan kicked in the locked door without hesitation and called out for his friend and teammate. "Reid?"

Sobbing was coming from the kitchen. Gun aimed, Morgan led the group toward the sound, dreading what they were going to find.

Reid and Elle were both on the floor. A large knife appeared to have been thrown to the side. Elle was in Reid's arms, sobbing on his shoulder.

* * *

><p>When Elle had launched herself at Reid, he hadn't hesitated. He couldn't hurt her, no matter how much she tried to hurt him.<p>

He dropped the knife and as Elle fell on him he grabbed her in a hug, trapping her arms against his chest. She had fought at first, screaming and beating his chest as best she could. Reid stayed silent, not making a sound, even when her nails scratched him. He just held her on the floor until she gave up and collapsed, tears streaming down her face.

He held her and didn't move, even when the rest of the team entered the room.

Morgan slowly lowered his gun and holstered it. He was the first to move, stepping forward and gently taking Elle by the shoulders and pulling her away from Reid.

Elle started, and clutched at Reid's sweater until she realized it was Morgan. She looked around in shock, still breathing unevenly from her tears.

Gideon pushed his way through and knelt down next to her. "It's alright now, Elle. It's alright."

Tears again flowed as she allowed Gideon to take her into a hug.

The rest of the team moved in, helping Reid to his unsteady feet. Morgan put the younger man's arm around his shoulders to support him. "You okay?" he asked simply.

Reid nodded, rubbing his eyes and forcing a small smile. "Just a bit tired."

* * *

><p><strong>Phew! That was close! Elle just never got over her PTS Disorder (Post-Traumatic Stress… IDK if it's the right short-hand, but I'm going with it) and she lashed out.<strong>

**Hope you like the way this is wrapping up. Just one more Chapter… So sad to say good-bye, but if you're interested, I've got other stories and just started a Psych fanfic if you like that show.**

**Reid and Review!**

**~MyDarkAngel710**


	19. Epilogue

**Me: As I sit in the airport and listen to them call repeatedly for a man named Tobias, which is slightly ironic, I type this last chapter…**

**Prentiss: That sounds really… Final.**

**Garcia: Kinda like you're going to die or something.**

**JJ: Wait, no one's going to die are they?**

**Me: I'm trying to be retrospective.**

**Reid: But you're talking about the present.**

**Me: Oh, forget it.**

**I don't own Criminal Minds.**

**12345**

Reid felt better. Not perfect, but better than he had in a long time. His Ketamine induced napped had done him wonders. So had clearing up the hard feelings with Elle.

She was starting up therapy again. Hopefully this time it would help.

"Kid," Morgan said, calling Reid's attention back to the present. "We're here."

Reid looked around, surprised at how little time it had taken to get from the airport to the cemetery.

"You sure you want to do this?" Morgan asked his friend, his eyes full of concern.

_I have to_, Reid thought to himself. He had to finish what he started. "You don't have to come with me."

"Please," Morgan scoffed. "I'm never letting out of my sight again. You disappear to easily."

A smile crept across the genius's face. "Sorry about that. I… I was scared and I didn't want to drag you guys into it."

"Reid. Look at me. We are a _family_. We are here for you whether you want us to be or not. So next time, don't run off."

Reid nodded. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out before exiting the car.

Morgan followed him a few feet behind as they passed the crumbling older gravestones to the last on the lot.

"Hey, Tobias," Reid whispered to himself as he knelt down and placed a flower on the grave.

The distant song of autumn birds were the only sounds. Reid pulled his coat tighter against the wind.

"You know that it wasn't your fault."

Reid shrugged, not committing either way.

Morgan forced the younger man to look face him. "Nothing is your fault. People make their own choices." He could tell he wasn't making much of an effect on Reid, so he changed tactics. "What about Owen Savage? You saved his life. If you hadn't talked him down, we probably would have had to take him down. And Samantha Malcolm and all the other girls her father abused. You saved them and more from being abused."

Shaking his head, Reid asked, "But what is the weight of one life saved compared to the others that were lost?"

Morgan shrugged. "I think that lives can't be tallied. Each is its own. You celebrate the wins, and mourn the loses, but you can't dwell and let yourself be pulled down by them. If you do, there will be even more loses, including yourself." He reached over and ruffled his hair. "And whether or not you believe me, the entire team would lose a lot more if you weren't there."

Reid smiled, sadness still lurking. He looked down once more at Tobias's grave. An image of Tobias right before he died flashed through his mind. _You killed him… Do you think I'll get to see my mom again?_ Maybe it was his memory failing him, but Tobias had almost looked… happy.

_12345_

"_Move on. It's just a chapter in the past, but don't close the book - turn the page."_

**12345**

**Alright! That's it! At least for a little while. I'm writing a Psych fanfic and one at a time is the way to go.**

**Hope you all enjoyed the ride, I sure did. And sorry about the late chapter. Sketchy internet access really puts a damper on updates…**

**As always and for the last time, Reid and Review!**

**~MyDarkAngel710**


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